Urban Forest Studies and Management

A plan identifying the main opportunities and challenges of Urban Forestry.

Urban Forest Strategic Management Plan

In 2008, the town's Forestry Section, Parks and Open Space Department delivered the Urban Forest Strategic Management Plan (UFSMP, 2008-2027). The plan identified the main opportunities and challenges of Urban Forestry, provided criteria and indicators to assess the success of existing forestry programs, and provided recommendations and action plans for the town south of Dundas Street. The plan provides recommendations to reach a 40 per cent canopy cover target by the year 2057.

2008 Urban Forest Strategic Management Plan

North Oakville Urban Forest Strategic Management Plan

Oakville’s Planning and Development Council approved the innovative North Oakville Urban Forest Strategic Management Plan on May 22, 2012, ensuring a sustainable and healthy urban forest for the lands located north of Dundas Street. The plan, which impacts overall planning for residential, commercial and industrial lands, recommends a strategy that connects urban forestry best practices to existing environmental features in Oakville’s Natural Heritage System.

Review the North Oakville Urban Forest Strategic Management Plan.

Under the plan, trees are identified as green infrastructure and their location and suitability will be determined at the start of the planning process. Development applications must provide detailed locations and soil volume of all trees in composite utility plans, ensuring the placement of trees will receive equal consideration as the location for the placement of other services, such as water or gas utilities.

The plan calls for establishing partnerships with community and environmental groups and other public agencies, government and the private sector to encourage participation in this planning and preservation initiative.

Growing Livability 2016 Report

Despite ice storms, urban development and the impact of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), Oakville increased its tree canopy by 1.3 per cent between 2005 and 2015. The findings, outlined in the 2016 report, Growing Livability – A Comprehensive Study of Oakville’s Urban Forest (pdf), are a result of an i-Tree survey conducted for the town in 2015 to measure Oakville’s tree canopy and compare it to a 2005 study.

The results indicated that in 2015 Oakville’s urban forest contained over two million trees, compared to 1.9 million in 2005, with an overall canopy cover of 27.8 per cent, up from 26.5 per cent in 2005. In addition to changes in canopy cover, the study examined changes in environmental quality and community livability over the preceding decade and quantified the benefits the trees provide converting those benefits to their economic value.

Highlights of the report include:

Oakville’s urban forest canopy cover in 2015: 27.8 per cent
Total number of trees: 2,016,500
The structural value of Oakville's urban forest is $1.04 billion
Oakville’s tree canopy is estimated to provide $2.93 million in environmental benefits each year
The total value of home energy savings provided by Oakville’s trees is approximately $1.8 million per year
Oakville’s urban forest removed 113 tonnes of pollutants and 7,586 tonnes of carbon dioxide from Oakville's air in 2015
Oakville’s top three species by leaf area are Sugar maple, Norway maple and Northern red oak

The results of the 2015 survey are available in the report, Growing Livability - A Comprehensive Study of Oakville's Urban Forest (pdf).

Forest Stewardship Council certified

The forests owned and managed by the Town of Oakville have achieved Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification (FSC® C018800) through the Eastern Ontario Model Forest’s Forest Certification Program. FSC® is an international, membership-based, non-profit organization that supports environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests. For more information on how the town’s forest is managed, including management plans, the protection of high-conservation values, or how pesticides are used within FSC Standards, please contact ServiceOakville. To learn more about FSC Certification and the information available to the public and affected stakeholders, please see the Eastern Ontario Model Forest’s Forest Certification Program.